History of a Garhwal King offering Asylum to Delhi Sultan Prince Muhammad Khan Tughlaq

  History of Garhwal including Haridwar (1223- 1804 AD) –part -40

                                            

 History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -286

                       By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Research Student)

            The Delhi Sultan Feroz Khan Tughlaq was 90 years old when he handed over the administration to his son Prince Muhammad Khan Tughlaq.

          In 1787, Prince Muhammad Khan Tughlaq reached to hills of Sirmaur (Dehradun and Himachal) for hunting and entertainment. He was in Sirmaur hills for two months.

         Knowing the revolt from nobles and slaves from Gujarat region, Prince Muhammad Khan Tughlaq returned to Delhi. Instead of ruling firmly, Prince Muhammad Khan Tughlaq started spending life on entertaining activities. Prince Muhammad Khan Tughlaq made more enemies than friends among nobles and slaves of Delhi. There was fight between the supporters of Prince Muhammad Khan Tughlaq and rebellions. Rebellions won the battle and Prince Muhammad Khan Tughlaq fled to Sirmaur hills.

 Feroz Shah handed over the thorn to his grandson Ghiyas –ud-Din Tughlaq (son of Fateshah Tughlaq). Feroz Shah Tughlaq died on 20^th September 1388.

    Prince Muhammad Khan Tughlaq was spending his days in exile in Sirmaur hills (part of Dehradun and Himachal part was also part of Dehradun).  Sirmaur chieftain offered asylum to Prince Muhammad Khan Tughlaq.

                                  Attack on Doon Valley by Ghiyas –ud-Din Tughlaq Army

               Prince Muhammad Khan Tughlaq was planning to capture the Delhi thorn with the help of Sirmaur King (west Dehradun).

                   Ghiyas –ud-Din Tughlaq sent his army to attack on Sirmour (Doon Valley).  Prince Muhammad Khan Tughlaq reached to a peak Baknari Garh. Till date, historians could not recognize the place Baknari Garh. Ghiyas –ud-Din Tughlaq army was unable to reach to Baknari Garh. There was battle below the Hill top Baknari Garh. However, army could not win Baknari Garh.

            Muhammad Khan Tughlaq fled to Nagarkot (Kangda) from Baknari Garh and captured the fort there. The Delshi Sultan army followed Muhammad Khan Tughlaq via Badu and Kimar (Himachal Pradesh).  However, Sultan army could not defeat or capture Muhammad Khan Tughlaq.

          After six months, Muhammad Khan Tughlaq attempted to win Delhi thorn with the help of chieftains of Nagarkot, Jalandhar, Saman and Shivalik Sirmour. He took the collected army and attacked Delhi and Muhammad Khan Tughlaq was succsful at this time.

   Muslim historians mentioned Sirmour hills and ruler but did not mention the name of King. At this period there were many attacks on South Garhwal (Dehradun, Haridwar, Bhabhar, and part of Himachal that was under Garhwal region) and subjects face many traumas and were made slaves cruelly.

(Main reference – Firojshai, Tarikh i-Mubarakshahi (Elliot and Dowson)

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com 12/3//2014

                                      References

1-Dr. Shiv Prasad Dabral, 1971, Uttarakhand ka Itihas Bhag-4, Veer Gatha Press, Dogadda, Pauri Garhwal, India 

2-Harikrishna Raturi, Garhwal ka Itihas

3-Dr. Patiram, Garhwal Ancient and Modern

4-Rahul Sankrityayan, Garhwal

5- Oakley and Gairola, Himalayan Folklore

6- Bhakt Darshan, Garhwal ki Divangit Vibhutiyan

7-Foster, Early Travels in India William Finch

8-Upadhyaya, Shri Shankaracharya

9-Shering, Western Tibet and British

10-H.G. Walton, Gazetteer of British Garhwal

11-B.P.Kamboj, Early Wall Paintings of Garhwal

12-H.g Walton, Gazetteer of Dehradun

13- Vimal Chandra, Prachin Bharat ka Itihas

14-Meera Seth, Wall Paintings of Western Himalayas 

15-Furar, Monumental Antiquities

16-Haudiwala, Studies in Indo-Muslim History

17- Rahul Khari 2007, Jats and Gujjar Origin, History and Culture

18- Upendra Singh, 2006, Delhi: Ancient History, Barghahan Books

19- B.S. Dahiya, 1980, Jats the Ancient Rulers (A Clan Study) , Sterling Publications

20- Maithani, Bharat –Gotrapravardeepika

21 Prem Hari Har Lal, 1993, The Doon Valley Down the Ages

22-Dashrath Sharma, Early Chauhan Dynasties

23- Shailndra Nath Sen, Ancient History and Civilization

24-H.M Elliot, 1867, The History of India as told by its Own Historians

25- Jaswant Lal Mehta, 1979, Advance Study in Medieval India

(The History of Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar write up is aimed for general readers)

History of Garhwal from 1223-1804 to be continued in next chapter          

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -287  

Notes on Early Medieval History of Garhwal; Early Medieval History of Pauri Garhwal; Early Medieval History of Chamoli Garhwal; Early Medieval History of Rudraprayag Garhwal; Early Medieval History of Tehri Garhwal; Early Medieval History of Uttarkashi Garhwal; Early Medieval History of Dehradun, Garhwal; Early Medieval History of Haridwar ; Early Medieval History of Manglaur, Haridwar;  Early Medieval History of Rurkee Haridwar ; Early Medieval History of Bahadarpur Haridwar ; History of Haridwar district to be continued… 

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